250,000 expected at greatest ever festival

The wait is over for rock fans as the country’s biggest annual music festival gets under way today.

Top bands including Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Muse and Pearl Jam will raise the dampened spirits of revellers who have squelched around the campsite since Wednesday.

With Glastonbury taking a break this year, the Richfield Avenue extravaganza is unarguably the biggest music attraction in the UK. Some quarter of a million people are expected to descend on Little John’s Farm over the weekend.

Melvyn Benn, managing director of organiser Mean Fiddler, said this year’s festival would be the greatest in the event’s history.

He said: “I would be happy to say it’s going to be the best yet, which was proven when it sold out in less than an hour.

“The preparations have gone really well.

“We’ve got a lot more coaches this year so hopefully that will reduce the traffic a bit.

“It will be busy on the roads but then they are going to the greatest festival in the world.”

He also reserved praise for American grunge band Pearl Jam, who will close the main stage when they headline on Sunday night.

He said: “Pearl Jam will be incredibly special. They are probably the biggest rock band never to have played Reading.

“In the early 90s they and Nirvana changed the face of rock music.”

Police are gearing up for one of the largest operations in the force’s calendar.

Earlier this year, Reading Borough Council approved an application by Mean Fiddler to increase the daily ticket allocation by almost 10,000.

Chief Inspector Steve Thwaites, who has overseen the planning of the event, urged festival-goers to use common sense to avoid being crime victims.

He said: “Considering the huge number of people who come to the festival, it is usually a peaceful and well-organised event where a good time is had by all – even in appalling weather conditions.

“However, with such a gathering of large people comes an opportunity that, for many, is too good to miss and every year there are the same issues, with people having goods stolen out of their tents or going to other parts of Reading and falling victim of crime.

“My plea to people coming to the festival is to have a good time and enjoy themselves but also to use their common sense. Leave valuables at home and only bring what you can carry.

“If it is left in your tent, it is more than likely going to be stolen so, please, do not be complacent.”

For details on all the acts appearing at this year’s festival see the 16-page supplement inside today’s paper